Gathering Honey 1907

Harrison Fisher captured this moment of intimacy in a watercolor painting. A couple embraces on a bench, surrounded by a garden in full bloom, the woman holding an umbrella. The act of kissing, and indeed, the very gathering of honey, evokes the ancient symbol of the "osculum," or kiss, a motif laden with cultural weight. Through time, the kiss has signaled familial bonds, religious devotion, and romantic love. Think of Judas' betrayal, a kiss that signaled the end of a sacred life. But the romantic kiss, like the one depicted here, is equally potent. This image speaks to our shared longing for union and connection, a desire rooted deeply in the collective unconscious. The surrounding flowers only reinforce this sense of blossoming sensuality. They are reminiscent of Botticelli’s Primavera where Flora scatters flowers to spread the joy of spring. The kiss then, is not simply a physical act, but a visual echo resonating through the corridors of time, a testament to the enduring power of human connection.